Paving-brick.



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE- JOSEPH WADE TUCKER, OF KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA,AND WILLIAM A. McCOOL, OF BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA. I

PAVING-BRICK.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH WADE TUCKER and WILLIAM A. MoCooL, citizensof the United States, residing, respectively, at Kissimmee, in thecounty of Osceola and State of Florida, and Beaver Falls, in the countyof Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Paving-Bricks, of which the following is-aspecification.

This invention relates to bricks, blocks or the like, for paving orother purposes, and has for its object to provide bricks or blocks oflow cost, which will afford a cushioning or noise and shock deadeningtraffic surface,

which are sufficiently strong, durable and.

wear-resisting to perform their intended function in an efficientmanner,-which are waterproof and durable, and which are unaffected byany degree of heat to which they are likely to be subjected, or bysaline solutions, acids, or other chemical. agencies, the last-namedcharacteristic making such bricks or blocks especially suitable forpaving purposes in stables, shops, and other.

places in which such destructive agencies are frequently encountered.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will best be understoodfrom the following detailed description of the manner in which the samemay be carried into effect.

In accordance with said invention the bricks, blocks or the like arecomposed of an aggregate comprising a comminuted, absorbent organicmaterial treated with a suitable substance which impregnates the same,and a binder which, under heavy pressure, unites said aggregate into asolid mass. Said absorbent material may be any nonresinous wood butpreferably consists of comminuted cypress wood, either in shredded form,produced from scrap, or as sawdust, this material having been foundespecially suitable for the purpose by reason of its cheapness incertainlocalities, its durability, and its substantial freedom from pitch,resin or other substances which might interfere with its thoroughimpregnation. The substance with which said absorbent comminuted wood isimpregnated, as also the binder by which it is united, are both prefhcSpecification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 27,- 1917.

\ Application filed November 20, 1916. Serial No. 132,325.

residues comprising a mixture of asphaltums of different melting pointsand being left after the extraction from the crude 011 of themore-volatile components, such as gasolene, naphtha, kerosene, etc.'These residues are subjected to a fractional distillation (preferably ata temperature of from .wood is thereafter thoroughly mixed with asufficient quantityof the heavier hydrocarbon material, or high pointasphaltums, also in a melted condition, to be thoroughly coatedtherewith. Preferably only a sufiicient quantity of the heavierasphaltum is employed to coat the aggregate completely and to bind thesame firmly together without excess. Suitable proportions have beenfound to be about 82 parts of the impregnated comminuted cypress wood toabout 18 parts of the binder, although these proportions are capable ofconsiderable variation. The comminuted wood thus impregnated andthoroughly mixed with the binder, by any suitable means, is molded intoblocks or bricks of suitable shape and size and under a heavy pressurein a hydraulic or other suitable press of any well-known character.

A brick or block made,- as above described has been found admirably tofulfil all of the conditions, and to possess all of the desirablequalities, heretofore referred to. In order to meet said conditions itis necessary that the comminuted wood be thoroughly impregnated with amaterial which will render the same waterproof and that it be boundtogether by a material which will afford the necessary strength anddurability and which is not readily inflammable or injuriously affectedby heat. Any hydrocarbon or other similar material capable of fulfillingthe first-named conditions has been found in practice to be toovlight'to the other hand, it has also been found in practice that anyhydrocarbon heavy enough to serve as a suitable binder is too heavy to'penetrate the pores of the wood but merely coats the surfaces of theparticles of the aggregate and binds them together. In such case thewood particles are not properly impregnated and waterproofed by suchheavy binder.

In the brickor block above described the lighter asphaltums serveefiectually to impregnate and waterproof the comminuted wood, while theheavier asphaltums serve as a highly efficient binder. Moreover, it isfound that, when the impregnated comminuted wood is mixed with thebinder and subjected to pressure, such lighter and heavier asphaltumsdisplay a strong aflinity for one another and recombine to form a moreor less homogeneous compound which entirely permeates the aggregate andbinds the same together; which is strong and durable; which is capableof resisting a heat of 200 F., or more; and which is not affected bysaline solutions, acids, or other destructive chemical agencies.

The terms bricks and blocks as herein used are to be taken as broad andgeneral in their meaning and to include paving or structural elements ofany form or size suitable for the uses to which they are to be put, andcapable of being manufactured as above described.

The process above described, whereby the bricks or blocks herein claimedare produced, forms the subject-matter of another application filed byus simultaneously herewith, No. 132,326.

Having thus described our invention we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A brick, block, or the like composed of .comminuted non-resinous Woodimpregnated with a'relatively light or thin asphaltum and united into asolid mass by a relatively heavy asphaltum.

2. A brick, block, or the like composed of comminuted non-resinous woodimpregnated with a relatively light or thin asphaltum and united into asolid mass by a relatively heavy asphaltum in a proportion of about 18parts of said relatively heavy asphaltum to about 82 parts of the saidimpregnated comminuted wood.

3. A brick, block, or the like, composed of comminuted cypress woodimpregnated with a relatively light or thin asphaltum and solidly unitedby a binder consisting of a relatively heavy asphaltum.

4. A brlck, block, or the like, composed of comminuted cypress woodimpregnated with a relatively light or thin asphaltum and solidly unitedby a binder consisting of a relatively heavy asphaltum, in a pro portionof about 18 parts of said relatively heavy asphaltum to about 82 partsof th said impregnated comminuted wood.

5. A brick, block, or the like, composed of comminuted cypress woodtreated with the residue of a mineral oil having an asphalt base andfrom which oil the more volatile components have been extracted, saidcomminuted wood being impregnated with the lighter asphaltum of saidresidue,

and being united into a solid mass by a' binder consisting of theheavier asphaltum which combines with the lighter asphaltum with whichsaid comminuted wood is impregnated, thus forming a solid homogeneousblock.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures.

JOSEPH WADE TUCKER;- WILLIAM A. McOOOL.

